Golden girl eyes new record

JUST one more gold and our Paralympic golden girl Jacqueline Freney will crack another record.

After five days, five events and five gold medals, the Skennars Head swimmer is showing the world what she's got, and she's not holding back.

On the fifth day of the London 2012 Paralympic Games, Ms Freney added two more gold medals to her tally, yesterday winning the women's S7 100m freestyle, before taking out the gold with Ellie Cole, Katherine Downie, and 13-year-old Maddison Elliott in the 4x100m freestyle relay .

Having achieved gold in the S7 100m backstroke, 50m butterfly, and 200m individual medley before her terrific day in the pool yesterday, Ms Freney continues to top the Australian individual medal tally .

In fact, with five gold medals under her belt, Jacqueline is just one gold medal away from equalling the record for the most golds by an Australian at a single Paralympics, a record currently held by Sydney Games swimming legend, and Ms Freney's personal idol, Siobhan Paton .

Ms Freney's grandfather, Peter Freney, was Ms Paton's swim coach, and it was him who inspired Ms Freney to take up competitive swimming.

With three events still to go, the Australian Paralympic Committee is hoping the young woman can continue her winning ways.

If Ms Freney does win gold in all eight events, she will reach Olympic counterpart Michael Phelps' number of eight gold medals in one single games.

So far in London, Ms Freney has broken the world record in women's 200m individual medley and the women's 4x100 freestyle relay, and broken the Paralympic record in the women's 100m backstroke and 100m freestyle.

Outgoing Ballina Shire Mayor Phillip Silver said Ms Freney, who trains at Lennox and Evans Head aquatic centres, deserves a hero's welcome when she arrives home from the Games.